


Yellow Daisies

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cancer, Flowers, M/M, mentions of vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 16:05:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11444322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Jason just wanted Tim to get better. And he thought flowers might be the best way to help someone feel better even if he couldn't make them better.





	Yellow Daisies

**Author's Note:**

> Mood Music: "Hearts Don't Break Around Here" by Ed Sheeran
> 
> I got super motivated thanks to dear Ed and cranked this out in a few hours today, so have a quick oneshot from me!!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Jason stopped in front of the flower shop. He looked over the bright yellow daisies in one of the displays in front of the window. He tightened his grip on the plastic bags that his hand was already weighed down with, but he knew that he wasn’t going to leave without stopping in and picking up those flowers. Because they were bright and happy. And today was one of those days where they needed something bright and happy.

He pushed through the front door and walked over to the counter.

“How can I help you?” the worker asked cheerfully.

He tried to smile. He was always _trying_ to smile these days. “Can I get a bouquet of the yellow daisies in the window, please?”

“Of course, sir!” she said and happily walked over to the bucket of flowers. “How many flowers would you like?” she asked as she carefully handled them.

“Twelve, please.”

“Would you like to include any other flowers or green pieces?”

“No, thank you. Just the daisies, please.”

He watched as she cut the stems and arranged the flowers in white paper. She wrapped the edges of the paper around the stems and used tape to secure it before tying a red ribbon around the paper.

She hummed under her breath and rung up the total on the cash register. “That’ll be thirty-five dollars, please.”

Jason pulled the bills from his wallet and handed them over before taking the bouquet from her.

“Have a nice day,” she called as he walked through the door.

He trudged down the sidewalk, flowers gripped tightly in his fist. He lifted them to his nose to smell their pleasant scent. For the first time that day, and probably for the better part of that week, he gave a smile, an actually genuine smile. Some of the tension left his shoulders and he thought that things might just be okay. That they might just get better.

Jason hurried up to their floor on the elevator and pushed through the door to their apartment.

“Tim?” he called as he slipped his shoes off. “Babe?”

“In the bedroom,” he croaked softly.

Jason left the grocery bags on the kitchen table before making a beeline for the bedroom, flowers still held tightly in his hand. He stopped in the doorway. Tim was curled up underneath the blanket, blinking at him tiredly. The red beanie that Jason had bought him was secured tightly on his head. The water bottle he’d left on the bedside table that morning was empty and another one that was half-empty was sitting next to it. Along with the many orange pill bottles that held Tim’s meds.

Jason walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it next to Tim. He brought a hand up to Tim’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over the pale skin.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Tired. Better now that you’re home.”

“Have you been in bed all day?”

“Yeah. I wanted to grab my computer, but I didn’t have the energy.”

Jason frowned. “You made it to the kitchen to get another bottle of water, though.”

“I’d already been up to go to the bathroom and made it in one trip. I was in bed when I wanted my computer so I just turned on the T.V. instead. What are those?” he asked, taking notice of the bouquet in Jason’s hand.

“Flowers,” he said, holding up the bouquet so Tim could see the yellow daisies. “I saw them on the way home and wanted to bring some for you.”

Tim smiled. “They’re beautiful. But…do we even have anything to put them in?” he asked with a weak laugh.

Jason hung his head. “Shit. I’ll figure something out. If I have to run back out to grab a vase I can. And then you can have them next to you all day.”

“I’d like that.”

Jason leaned forward and gave Tim a quick kiss. His lips were chapped and Jason made a note to bring him some chapstick. He knew how much he hated to have chapped lips and he couldn’t imagine it was very pleasant for Tim either.

“Do you think you’ll be hungry for dinner?”

“Maybe a little bit. I had a small lunch, but I was too tired to get up to get something when I did get hungry this afternoon.”

Jason sighed. “Tim, if you’d just let me-“

“No! You have a job and I’m fine here by myself during the day. Just because I’m stuck here doesn’t mean you have to be, too. You already worry about me enough on the weekends and when you have to take me to the doctor.”

“I worry about you because I care and I want to make sure that you have everything you need. Just because you’re sick doesn’t make you a burden. And I hate that you have to be cooped up here all day. I want to take you out to the park and buy ice cream or have a picnic. And nothing is going to change that, I promise.”

Tim’s eyes shined brightly and Jason set the flowers on the bed so that he could cup both sides of his face. Tim’s breath left him in a shudder and he closed his eyes. Jason dipped his head for another kiss, using his hands to tilt Tim’s head up and caused his fingers to slip underneath the beanie where they ran over smooth skin now that the hair was gone.

Jason sighed and pulled back. “So…dinner. Do you want to stay in here? Or do you want to come lay on the couch while I cook?”

“You never told me what you were making. But I wouldn’t mind being on the couch.”

“Maybe put on a movie and sit out there tonight? Get out of this room?”

“As long as you’re there with me,” Tim said.

Jason grinned and stood from the bed. He pulled the blanket from where it was draped over Tim and helped him sit up.

“Here, take your flowers,” Jason said, placing them in his lap before slipped one of his arms under Tim’s legs and the other around his back.

“Jason, what-“ he started to ask.

Jason carefully lifted Tim from the bed and kept him close to his chest. “I thought it might be easier if you didn’t have to walk all the way to the living room.”

Once again, Jason was amazed by how light Tim had become. He’d always been slim and had a deceptively slight frame, but the amount of muscle on his body made itself apparent whenever Jason picked him up. He wasn’t the easiest to throw around, but now Jason was afraid that a breeze would be enough to knock him over.

He helped Tim settle down on the couch, the bouquet still tucked against him.

“Do you need a blanket? A pillow? Some water?” Jason asked, fixing the beanie where it had gotten messed up.

“Some water would be great, Jason.”

“Water coming right up.”

He hurried back into the kitchen and filled a glass from the pitcher they kept in the refrigerator. He passed it to Tim who was watching him over the back of the couch.

“So what’s for dinner?” he asked as Jason started to pull potatoes from one of the bags.

“Potato soup with extra greens just for you.”

Tim hummed. “Sounds delicious.”

“I found this great recipe for a breakfast shake, too, that I want to try making you tomorrow. I think you’ll like it and it’s a bonus because you won’t have to chew.”

Tim snorted. “You act like it takes a lot of energy to chew.”

Jason started to peel the potatoes over the sink to hide his sad expression from Tim. “There are days when it feels like it though.”

“Yeah…”

~~

While the soup cooked on the stove, Jason searched for a vase or something else to put the flowers in. The best that he could find was a chipped, plastic water pitcher in the back of one of their cabinets. He rinsed it out and put fresh water in it before unwrapping the bouquet and placing the flowers inside of it. He set it down on the coffee table with a little flourish, earning some small applause from Tim.

“I’ll get you a better vase later, okay?”

Tim smiled. “You don’t have to. I like it. It seems very us. A little broken and beat up, but still fighting.”

“Yeah…still fighting.”

The kitchen timer caught his attention and he hurried back to the stove to take the soup off the heat. He turned off the timer and the stove before reaching for two bowls. He filled them both halfway and grabbed spoons to bring back to the living room.

He sat down next to Tim who’d just turned on _Wheel of Fortune_. He took the bowl from Jason and held it tightly between his hands as he leaned against his side. Jason waited as Tim took a tentative bite. He sighed happily.

“It’s good.”

“Yeah?” Jason asked.

“Of course. Everything you make is always good.”

Jason took a bite of the soup and sighed too. The warmth spread through him, but the spices were a bit off for his taste. He’d have to tweak that the next time around. But it was a delicious meal after a long and rather tiring day at work.

He made it through his first bowl and halfway through his second before Tim had even eaten half of his. And when he did, he put his bowl to the side with a sigh.

“Are you full?” Jason asked.

“Yeah. It was good, but…I’m just full.”

“You sure you can’t eat a little more?”

Tim shook his head. “Maybe later, okay?”

“Okay,” Jason said, pulling him close as _Jeopardy_ started.

~~

Jason slowly blinked his eyes open in the darkness. He reached over and turned on the lamp, finally getting to see where Tim’s back was shaking as he gasped for breath between the dry heaves that had woken Jason. He sat up and stood from bed so he could walk around to Tim’s side without upsetting him further.

Tim had his head tucked into the bucket they kept next to the bed and was clutching it tightly. Jason sat down and started to rub his back.

“Did you get sick?” he murmured softly.

Tim lifted his head and Jason saw where the tears were already streaking down his cheeks. He nodded slowly.

“Okay. Do you want to brush your teeth or just try to go back to sleep?”

Tim’s breaths slowed as he managed to calm down. “Sleep, but…”

“I know, I know. Come on, then,” he said, taking the bucket from Tim’s hands. “Let’s get you to the bathroom and then I can clean this up for you.”

Jason set the bucket to the side and helped Tim to stand. They shuffled to the bathroom slowly. Tim leaned against the doorframe while Jason wet his toothbrush and put some toothpaste on it. While Tim brushed, Jason rubbed his back, hoping to keep him soothed and calm as much as possible.

Getting back to the bed took longer, but Jason got him tucked under the covers without a problem. He dropped a kiss on Tim’s forehead and turned off the lamp before picking up the bucket and heading back into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him to keep the light from filtering back into the bedroom and disturbing Tim.

Jason put down the lid on the toilet and sat on it as he reached for the tap in the bathtub. He turned it on and stuck the bucket underneath it, rinsing out most of Tim’s vomit quickly. While he let the water heat up so he could wash it properly, he pulled a clean wash cloth and some soap from under the sink.

Nights like these were the worst. He hated that Tim was put in even more pain than he normally was. Jason sniffed as the tears started to form in his eyes. And none of it was Tim’s fault. He’d never asked to get cancer and sleep couldn’t even keep him safe from the pain that plagued him during the day. The first time that the meds had made him this sick, he’d cried. He’d cried so much and Jason could do nothing for him. Nothing but hold him.

He couldn’t kiss it and make it better. He couldn’t take the pain from his body. He had to sit by and watch him suffer and hate himself and he could do nothing but rub his back and make him food and bring him flowers. If he was given the opportunity, Jason would take the cancer in Tim’s place. He would deal with it because Tim didn’t deserve that. He deserved to be happy and to live his life instead of being stuck inside and feeling like shit.

Jason let the water mask his sobs. Because this was the only time that he could grieve. He couldn’t let Tim see how much he was hurting because of something that he couldn’t control. He had to be strong for Tim because he needed him and there wasn’t anything that was going to keep Jason away, as much as he’d tried to fight him when he was first diagnosed.

Jason rinsed the remaining soap from the bucket and shut off the water. He washed his hands in the sink and looked at his red eyes. He was content with the knowledge that Tim wouldn’t be able to see them when he crawled back in bed and by morning, there’d be no sign that he was hurting. That he’d been hurting.

Jason walked back into the bedroom and set the bucket next to Tim’s side of the bed before walking around to crawl into bed. He pulled Tim into his arms and placed his head on his chest. His arms were wrapped tightly, but not too tightly, around Tim and he was glad that his breaths were coming easily now that he was asleep again. Jason felt the emotions from earlier clawing their way back up his throat, but he fought them down. He had Tim with him and that was all he needed.

~~

The second bouquet of daisies came when Jason had to take Tim to the doctor. He’d left work early and stopped by the same flower shop as before. Except this time, he got them in a vase. He thought it was about time to retire the water pitcher even though Tim loved it.

He grinned when he pushed through the apartment door. Tim was waiting for him on the couch, dressed and ready to go out as they had agreed on.

“Look what I brought!” he said excitedly.

Tim looked up and smiled. “More daisies?”

“And this time, they’re in a vase,” Jason said, setting them on the coffee table in front of Tim proudly.

“I’m going to miss the water pitcher,” Tim said, looking at the other bouquet that wasn’t looking too good.

“I know. I guess I’ll just have to get you another bouquet for the pitcher.”

“I don’t need that many flowers,” he argued, but he was smiling. It was a better day.

“Of course you do,” Jason said, helping him up from the couch. “But first, we need to get you to the doctor.”

Jason locked the apartment after them and tucked the key in his pocket.

“When do you think I’m going to get to stop going to the doctor?” Tim asked as he clutched Jason’s hand in his own and they walked down the hallway to the elevator.

“I don’t know, Tim,” he sighed. “Soon, hopefully. Do you want to go out to eat after your appointment? We could go to a restaurant or maybe bring some takeout back home.”

“Takeout would be good. I’ll probably be tired after I see Dr. Smith and I don’t want to have to sit at a table in a restaurant, let alone deal with all of the looks that I’m going to get.”

Jason squeezed Tim’s hand after helping him into the passenger seat of their car. He shut the door and walked around to the other side, sliding in and slipping the key into the ignition.

“Takeout it is. Think about what you want and I can order it before we leave the hospital.”

~~

Jason tapped away at his phone where he was seated in a chair in the hospital waiting room while Tim underwent his tests. He hated that they wouldn’t let him be back there with him. It was all fine and good when Tim was just talking to the doctor or getting his vitals checked, but as soon as they needed to draw blood or take scans he was kicked out.

It gave him a lot of time to find new recipes to try so he was able to keep himself occupied. And Tim had told him what he wanted to eat after his appointment so that was an order that he could have placed and ready for pickup by the time they got out of there. He hoped that Tim had an appetite. Hospital visits usually left him wanting to go straight to bed. Jason hated when that happened because he didn’t think Tim was eating enough as it was and his visits reduced it even more.

“Mr. Todd?”

Jason looked up and found a nurse sticking his head through the door that led back to the doctors’ offices and patient rooms.

“Please come with me,” he said when he caught sight of Jason looking at him.

Jason stuffed his phone back into his pocket and hurried over. “Is everything alright? Nothing’s happened to Tim, right?”

“Everything’s fine. Dr. Smith would simply like to speak to both of you before you leave. She has some updates that need to be given about Mr. Drake’s treatment,” he said, leading Jason past a row of rooms to an office.

Tim was already seated inside. He smiled tiredly and Jason twined their fingers together when he sat in the chair next to him.

“Thank you for joining us, Mr. Todd,” Dr. Smith began. “I wanted you both to be present for what I’m about to say.”

Jason nodded and shot a glance over at Tim.

“Mr. Drake’s condition has seemed to improve from his last testing. Since his last visit, his cells have stabilized and the quality has even improved slightly. Despite the fatigue and lack of appetite, his body has begun to embrace the treatments and worked to repair itself. I’m going to move up his next appointment because I’d like to see him sooner, especially if the effects are what I believe them to be.”

Jason squeezed Tim’s hand and Tim squeezed back.

“Of course,” Jason said, leaning forward. “When would you like us to be back here?”

She handed a card to Jason with his appointment details. “This is the date and time that we’ve scheduled him for. Keep up everything that you’ve been doing and we’ll see you for your next appointment. Congratulations, Mr. Drake. You are already well on your way to being cancer free.”

“Thank you,” he said, sincerely, still clutching Jason’s hand.

Jason helped Tim out of his chair and from the room and as they were walking down the hallway, Tim squeezed Jason’s hand with all of his might. As soon as they walked through the doors to the hospital waiting room, Tim broke down into sobs. Jason pulled him to his chest and rubbed his back.

“This is really happening, right? I’m not dreaming?” he mumbled into Jason’s jacket.

Jason kissed the top of his beanie covered head. “No, you’re not, baby. You’re getting better. The treatments are working.”

“I never thought this day would come. I thought I was always going to be getting worse. I mean…I’d hoped, but when I just felt like shit all the time…”

“I know, I know. Let’s get you home. Do you think you’ll have an appetite for dinner?”

“God, yes. If it means that I’ll keep getting better, I’ll eat anything you give me even if I get sick in the middle of the night.”

Jason chuckled breathlessly. “Okay. Let’s go. We’ve got a takeout order waiting for us.”

~~

Jason found that no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t stop himself from buying more flowers for Tim. He wanted to give him everything. He wanted to keep him happy because his mood was better than it had been in weeks. Sure, they still had problems, but there was more hope now. More of a reassurance that each visit to the doctor was going to be the last one. They were just waiting for the news that Tim’s cancer had disappeared. That was all they needed.

Tim’s appetite slowly started to return and he didn’t look quite as sickly as he used to despite still having several bottles of meds next to the bed.

When Jason got home from work, most of the time he’d find Tim sitting on the couch with a book or mindlessly watching T.V. He had less trouble moving around and more energy and Jason was ready to cry because he hadn’t seen Tim look that good in months.

And wherever Tim went in the house, he always brought the vase of daisies with him.

The flowers had become a staple. Jason wondered why he hadn’t thought to get them sooner, but he was glad that he did. They gave him something to focus on when days had been particularly rough and it always seemed to brighten Tim’s day when he came home with a new bouquet.

~~

“Congratulations are once again in order, Mr. Drake,” Dr. Smith said from where she was seated across her desk from them. “Today’s latest round of tests and scans have shown no sign of the cancer. We’ll need to have checkups spaced out over the next several months to make sure that it stays that way, but until we need to see you again, you are free of the disease. Here are a few pamphlets that detail your next steps and what you need to watch out for in the coming months now that you’ve been announced cancer free. I know that this is supposed to be a happy time, but it’s important to know that your risk of getting cancer again has increased since you’ve already had it once.”

Jason took the pamphlets from her hand and Tim nodded from where he was sitting next to him, clutching his hand tightly.

“If you have any questions before your next appointment, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Thank you,” Tim said, thickly. “Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me.”

“Of course. I’m happy that you’ve made such a comeback from the disease.”

As soon as they were out in the hallway, Jason pulled Tim against his chest. Tim clutched to his shirt and sobbed, unable to hold in his emotions and the large sense of relief that he was feeling any longer. Jason couldn’t even stop the tears that came to his own eyes, letting himself finally cry in front of Tim again. Because they were okay. Tim was okay and he was better and he was going to stay that way. Jason wasn’t going to let him get sick again. He couldn’t.

Jason cupped Tim’s face and brought their lips together in a desperate kiss. One that they’d been waiting months for.

“I love you,” Jason said when he pulled away. “God, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. And I was never going to leave you,” Tim said, reaching for him again. “No matter what you thought, I was never going to leave.”

“I know. I know. I love you. I love you I love you I love you I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I’m never going to let you go.”

“Never,” Tim agreed.

“I love you.”

“Flower for the happy couple?” a voice spoke up beside them, drawing Jason’s focus away from Tim even as he buried his face in Jason’s shirt.

Jason looked up and found a nurse with a basket of flowers standing next to them. It seemed she was giving them out to patients at the hospital. He smiled.

“Thank you,” he said softly as his fingers curled around the stem of a yellow daisy.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, Kudos, and feedback is always appreciated!!
> 
> Tumblr: my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com
> 
> Twitter: twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m


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